Speaking to the Swiss news channel, a former pilot pointed out that the errant tool “could have fallen on the track and be drawn in by the next plane”.

“This could have caused serious structural damage, as in the Concorde crash in Paris,” they added.

A statement by EasyJet confirmed the pilot was forced to turn the plane around and that a misplaced wrench was found in the plane’s wing upon inspection. The flight took off without incident an hour later.